Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

November 12, 2026

Ankara 3:15 pm

14°C

People walk past a Bitcoin sign at the entrance of a cryptocurrency exchange office on Nov. 8, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Watchdog urges Turkey to tighten digital asset rules for $144B crypto economy

A review of Turkey’s crypto-asset regulations by the Financial Stability Board acknowledged significant progress made by local authorities but called for further measures to address potential risks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu attend a signing ceremony with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Nov. 24, 2021. ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s banking watchdog chief submits resignation amid fund scandal

Turkey’s government is facing growing criticism over regulators’ failure to prevent a fund scandal involving more than $20 billion.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Explainer

Iran war pushes up coal use, complicating Turkey’s COP31 pledge

Turkey is asking world leaders at COP31 to back a global push to use more electricity, even as the Iran war has driven up natural gas prices and pushed some power producers back to coal.

Latest News

Turkey bars MP’s wife from travel after his fund scandal criticism: What to know

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Steel factory explosion in western Turkey kills at least 16

A steel worker works in front of giant iron melting pot in Kardemir Iron and Steel Factory in Karabuk, northwestern Turkey, Aug. 26 2005. (TARIK TINAZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions?

MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Supporters of Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood wave Egyptian flags during a rally in protest against the recent violence in Egypt, outside of the Eminonu New mosque in Istanbul August 17, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX12P9I

Egypt declares Turkish ambassador persona non grata

The break in Egypt-Turkey ties is another sign of the failed policies of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (C) listens to his advisor (L) as he walks in for a press briefing with Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, November 24, 2013. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15R41

The Davutoglu charm offensive

Despite some new messages from Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a "reset" of Turkey’s foreign policy seems a stretch.

New party linked to Barzani makes play for Turkey’s Kurds

KDP-Bakur, a group linked to Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, has caused a stir with plans to become a formal party in Turkey.

Supporters and opponents of ousted president Mohamed Mursi clash at Nasr City district in Cairo November 22, 2013. Mursi's supporters have staged frequent protests across Egypt, many of them after Friday prayers, since the army deposed him on July 3 in response to mass protests against his rule, and arrested most of the top leaders of his Muslim Brotherhood. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15OZM

Break in Turkey-Egypt relations deepens regional divide

International mediation may be the next steps to rebuild trust among the countries of the region.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan waves to students after his speech at Cairo University, on the first day of his two-day trip to Egypt, November 17, 2012. Erdogan, an outspoken of critic of Israel, praised Egypt's Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, on Saturday for recalling his ambassador from Tel Aviv in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST EDUCATION) - RTR3AJEO

The lost promise of Turkey-Egypt relations

Though Turkish-Egyptian relations have sunk to new lows with the reciprocal removal of ambassadors, ties between the two countries once promised economic and strategic development.

A pro-Kurdish demonstrator displays his tattoo as she attends a rally marking the 20th anniversary of the introduction of a ban of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Berlin November 16, 2013. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz (GERMANY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15G0V

Kurdish militia aims to connect Kurdish enclaves in Syria

Syria's central Kurdish militia attempts to garner enough support in northern Syrian to create a contiguous Kurdish zone.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L) arrive to speak to reporters at the State Department in Washington November 18, 2013.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15J4C

Turkey resets ties with US

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu boldly characterizes the relationship with Washington as "the backbone of Turkey’s foreign policy."

A rocket launcher is positioned at a military base on the Turkish-Syrian border town of Reyhanli, in Hatay province, southern Turkey September 5, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX1388W

Turkey's Syria dilemma

The deepening crisis in Syria should make Turkey consider how it will deal with near permanent chaos in its borders.

Iraq's Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani votes at a polling station in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, about 350 km (217 miles) north of Baghdad September 21, 2013. Kurds went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new parliament in an election that is being dubbed as the most crucial in the history of Iraqi Kurdish political powers, with potential to change the political structure of the next parliament and government cabinet.About 1,129 candidates representing 32 political entities are co

Turkey, Iran influence Iraqi Kurdistan politics

The post-election politics of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is subject to relationships among Iran, Iraq and Turkey.

Turkey close to deal with China for anti-missile system

Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries says they are 90% done on the agreement purchasing an anti-missile system from China, but notes that there still could be a political decision to abort the agreement.

An Iraqi Kurdish pashmarga (fighter) and a group of children watch Turkish tank movement near a small village in the mountains in Northern Iraq March 22. Thirty-five thousand Turkish soldiers backed by tanks and air power entered into northern Iraq to launch an offensive against PKK Kurdish guerrillas on March 20 - RTXG5C1

Turkey may investigate military’s burning of Kurdish villages

The Turkish government may launch an investigation into the destruction of Kurdish villages by state military forces in southeastern Turkey in the 1990s.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Muharrem Ince addresses the Turkish Parliament in Ankara October 31, 2013. Four female lawmakers from Turkey's Islamist-rooted ruling party wore their Islamic head scarves in parliament on Thursday in a challenge to the country's secular tradition. Four female lawmakers, Nurcan Dalbudak, Sevde Beyazit Kacar, Gulay Samanci and Gonul Bekin Sahkulubey, from Turkey's Islamist-rooted ruling party AKP wore their Islamic head scarves in parliament o

Turkey’s draft constitution appears dead

The deadlock in the Turkish parliament does not come as a surprise and may foreshadow even more polarization.